An exhibition of Katsushika Hokusai’s complete Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji is currently on display at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, marking the first time the series has been exhibited in Britain. The collection, created in the early 1830s, offers a profound exploration of Mount Fuji as both a physical landmark and a symbol of enduring stability amid the transient forces of nature.

Central to the series is the iconic print commonly known as The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Viewing multiple original impressions of the print reveals a dramatically different impression than the graceful image often reproduced. The wave appears as a menacing, powerful force, its claw-like crests threatening to engulf the small boats below. Despite the chaos suggested by the stormy sea and the vulnerable rowers, Mount Fuji rises serenely in the background, unshaken and eternal.

Hokusai, a devout Buddhist, uses the mountain as a symbol of permanence and spiritual solace in contrast to the ephemeral and destructive nature of the wave. This thematic juxtaposition underscores a message about finding peace by focusing on what endures beyond the fleeting turmoil of life. The prints frequently depict individuals either oblivious to or engaged with Mount Fuji, reflecting different attitudes toward the natural world and its mysteries.

The exhibition displays Hokusai’s innovative use of Prussian blue pigment, a relatively new import from Europe, and his adoption of European techniques of perspective. These elements, combined with his uniquely Japanese sensibility, contributed to the series’ groundbreaking impact on landscape art. Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji influenced many Western artists, including Vincent van Gogh, James McNeill Whistler, Paul Cézanne, and Claude Monet, whose works similarly explore nature’s metaphysical qualities.

Among the prints, scenes such as Ejiri Station on the Tōkaidō Highway highlight everyday moments disrupted by sudden weather, while others depict people traveling or pausing to appreciate the mountain’s presence—sometimes directly, sometimes not. The prints encompass both the hustle of daily life and contemplative moments, unified by the enduring image of Mount Fuji seen from various perspectives.

The exhibition runs through January 17 and offers viewers a chance to engage with a series widely regarded as one of the earliest global masterpieces, celebrating the interplay of nature, culture, and spiritual reflection in Hokusai’s work.